Funny how things change. Way back in July 1986, Tim Witherspoon was public enemy No 1 in England.

He'd just knocked out British hero Frank Bruno in 11 rounds at a heaving Wembley, making a successful first defence of his WBA heavyweight title.

The result led to shocking scenes, with chairs and coins being thrown in the champion's direction as he left the ring.

Two hundred seats were wrecked, 27 arrests were made and ten police officers were hurt.

"We almost got killed going back to the dressing room, it was scary," 'Terrible Tim', a regular visitor to these shores, told the Gazette Sports this week.

But time heals all wounds - attitudes alter and moods mellow.

So much so that Witherspoon, who compiled a glittering career spanning four decades, is now adored by appreciative British fight fans.

And the feeling is mutual.

"I love it over here," the Philadelphian, now in his mid-40s, said.

"Since I fought Frank Bruno, I've really felt good about the people over here.

"To me, it's like my second home."

Witherspoon believes the amateur ranks are talent-rich in this country and intends to discover and nurture potential title winners, giving them opportunities to break into the American market.

"My main aim is to establish some type of home base in Sheffield (where he trained pro light heavyweight Clinton Woods) so I can gather talent," he said.

"If I can be over here and work with the right materials, I know I can make a champion - no problem.

"I see a lot of talent over here and a lot of hard-working kids that want to be something.

"In the US, people try to cut to the chase by getting there fast because there are better trainers there.

"Over here, I feel there are not enough good trainers, but the kids want to work hard - so there is the enthusiasm, but not the knowledge to bring out the best in them.

"This is what drives me. I see a lot of talented young kids who love the sport.

"They're not looking at the money part of it, they just want to fight.

"In the States, everybody wants to be a millionaire!"

Witherspoon is not training Woods any more - "it's a management call" - although he will be ringside for his IBF title bout against Rico Hoye in the Steel City next Friday.

But the single parent with five children is helping out with current IBF light middleweight king Kassim Ouma, as well as tutoring son Tim Jr.

"He's an amateur champion, six foot tall and 130 pounds, and is turning pro in the summer time," explained dad.

Down to earth and personable, Witherspoon mixed in top company throughout his 69 bouts in the paid ranks.

Larry Holmes, Bonecrusher Smith, Greg Page, Pinklon Thomas, Ray Mercer and Andrew Golota - a list of his former opponents reads like a who's who of some of the best in the division.

And while the Holmes match first got him noticed on the fistic radar - many thought he won a 1983 WBC challenge to the 'Easton Assassin' - it is the Bruno bout which stands out most in his memory.

"My own personal highlight is a throw-up between the Larry Holmes fight and coming over here to Wembley, but the one with Bruno was the No 1," he said.

"Not only did I have to beat him, but I had to beat 50,000 people in the stands.

"After the fight, we almost got killed: 'Oh, it was rough'!

"I can understand that, me knocking out the British champion.

"But the best part about it, the next day after all of the trouble we had a party and everyone was lovely.

"It was a beautiful thing, and ever since then the people in England have accepted me as one of their own.

"But that fight was the most I ever got hurt, I couldn't walk afterwards.

"They had to carry me into the hotel and snap my hip back into place.

"Bruno was hitting me there a lot on the side and I didn't know I had a problem until I cooled down and felt a twitch.

"It just so happened there was a whole entourage of chiropractors who had come in from Russia. We knew one of them, he flew in just to see me fight.

"It took him, like, 15 minutes then I was walking again, but my eye was closed.

"It was a good feeling and a hurt feeling, but I was happy.

"I was in another country defending my championship and I thought I was going to be a millionaire, but it didn't turn out that way!"

Boxing can be a murky business without the right connections and know-how, and it is his own personal trials and tribulations which Witherspoon believes can play a key part in him helping bring up other fighters.

"Boxing has been good to me in the way where I learned a whole lot from negatives," added the former defensive master.

"Being ripped off, being interrogated by promoters telling me I wasn't going to fight if I didn't do what they wanted me to do.

"I learned from all of these things.

"I've got a degree in being able to help young fighters out, I don't know what they are going to call that degree, but I'm excellent in being able to read these things.

"I can speak for the fighters from experience.

"They tried the same thing with Kassim Ouma that they tried with me.

"He was being put under pressure to sign contracts, I told him not to sign them and to hold it off.

"So I can send guys off in the right direction and I can teach, so it's a package deal."

Having seen Witherspoon in action on Teesside, it's a package that looks like being a big success.

TIM WITHERSPOON can't work up too much enthusiasm when it comes to discussing the current state of the heavyweight division, describing the post-Tyson years as "a dormant period".

He's not too fond of the Klitschko brothers either - WBC champion Vitali and former WBO king Wladimir.

"I think one of them is talented with no heart (Wladimir) and the other one (Vitali) has got all the heart and not as much talent, so they're unbalanced."

But Witherspoon, whose career record is 55 (38)-13-1, feels British heavyweight trio Danny Williams, Matt Skelton and Audley Harrison are capable.

But he said Harrison needs to concentrate more on his boxing and less on the business side of the sport.

"Audley is a friend of mine, but he needs to stop being so caught up in being his own manager.

"He needs some mentors to really show him the way."

CHOPPING wood was a big part of the Witherspoon training regime and always resulted in some explosive performances, he revealed, helping with strength and stamina.

"I'd do it for between 45 minutes and an hour," he said. "I fought Jorge Luis Gonzalez, who was a bully, and beat him down.

"And I knocked out James Broad in two rounds. Nobody liked him, he was arrogant and getting smart with everybody. I chopped wood before both of those fights."